HARWICH, municipal borough and seaport, Harwich parlia mentary division, Essex, England, on the extremity of a small peninsula projecting into the estuary of the Stour and Orwell, 7o m. N.E. by E. of London by the L.N.E. railway. Pop. (1931) 12,700, including Halstead, added to the borough in 1917. Har wich (Herewica, Herewyck) formed part of the manor of Dover court. It became a borough in 1319 by a charter of Edward II., which was confirmed in 1342 and 1378, and by each of the Lan castrian kings. Harwich received charters in and 1560. In 1604 James I. gave it a charter which provided a new constitution, and from this date begins the regular parliamentary representation. Two burgesses had attended parliament in Until 1867 Harwich returned two members; it then lost one, and in 1885 its representation was merged. In '252 Henry III. granted to Roger Bigod a market here every Tuesday, and a fair on Ascension day, and eight days after. In 1320 a Tuesday market was granted, but no fair is mentioned. James I. granted a Friday market, and two fairs, at the feast of St. Philip and St. James, and on St. Luke's day. The fair has died out, but markets are still held on Tuesday and Friday. In the 14th century merchants came even from Spain, and there was much trade in wheat and wool with Flanders. But the passenger traffic appears to have been as important at Harwich in the 14th century as it is now. Shipbuilding was a large industry at Harwich in the 17th century.
The town of Harwich occupies an elevated situation, and a wide view is obtained from Beacon hill at the southern end of the esplanade. The harbour is one of the best on the east coast of England, and in stormy weather is largely used for shelter, and ships drawing 17 ft. can enter at low water. A breakwater and sea wall prevent the blocking of the harbour entrance and encroach ments of the sea; and there is another breakwater at Landguard point on the opposite (Suffolk) shore of the estuary. The prin cipal imports are grain and agricultural produce, timber and coal, fruit, vegetables, cattle and horses and the exports cement, horses and fish. Harwich is one of the principal English ports for continental passenger traffic, steamers regularly serving the Hook of Holland, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Esbjerg, Zeebrugge, Copenhagen and Hamburg. A train ferry to Zeebrugge was in augurated in 1924. The continental trains of the L.N.E. railway run to Parkeston quay, 1 m. from Harwich up the Stour, where the passenger steamers start. The fisheries are important, prin cipally those for shrimps and lobsters. There are cement and shipbuilding works. There are several of the Martello towers of the Napoleonic era. Between the Parkeston Quay and Town railway stations is that of Dovercourt, a popular watering-place now united with Harwich. Harwich is the most important naval base on the east coast.